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Medical Author:

Richard Weil, MEd, CDE

Richard Weil, MEd, CDE

Richard Weil, MEd, CDE, is an exercise physiologist and Certified Diabetes Educator, and is director of the New York Obesity Research Center Weight Loss Program at St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital Center in

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Exercise tubing consists of elastic tubes with handles that can substitute for free weights or machines to help you build strength and tone. They come in various thicknesses to increase the tension (and are different colors to denote the tension). They have never been tested head-to-head against free weights or machines, but remember that resistance exercise is any activity that causes muscles to contract against external resistance. Tubing does just that.

What are the advantages of exercise tubing?

• They are an inexpensive and versatile way to get started with resistance exercise.
• You can do lots of exercises with them and even use them in a chair if you don't get around very well on your feet.
• By using a door strap (a small strap that permits you to attach tubing to a door) you can do more exercises with tubing than you can with free weights or dumbbells.
• You can start with a set of four for about $20. They come in colors to denote the tension.
• They are portable and you can pack them in your bag for vacation or leave a set at your office for an occasional set of biceps curls when no one's looking!
• They don't dent the floor if you drop them.
• You can store them easily in a drawer, closet, or other convenient, out-of-the-way location.

What are the disadvantages of exercise tubing?

• Over time, they may lose some of their elasticity and may need to be replaced.
• If they rub up against a sharp object (a ring on your finger or if you wrap it around a table or sofa leg with sharp edges), they can snap.

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